Revenge: First in the Slayer Chronicles
by JustinsbabeC
Summary: Buffy is dead, all of her friends in the City of Angels are moving on...who will take over?
1. Chapter 1

Revenge: The Slayer Chronicles  
  
  
  
Prologue: San Francisco, CA 2002  
  
She took a few steps through the woods, then stopped and listened. She heard a bird shriek in the distance. Nothing. She moved on.  
  
The darkness seemed to swallow her, to camouflage her as she finally reached the vermin's nest, a small rundown shack in the middle of the woods outside of the city. She was the hunter, the Chosen One. The Slayer. She had finally found what she had been hunting for, for the past 4 months. She silently crouched in some brush, letting the night engulf her. She waited for the right moment.  
  
Thoughts raced through her mind as her heart pounded in her ears and her breath cut though the warm night air. She tried to concentrate on a plan to kill the hated clan of vampires that infested the nest she found that night. Her left hand clutched a wooden stake. Around her slender waist was the sheath that held her Watcher's sword.  
  
She was alone. It had been that way for over a year, ever since the clan of vampires she hunted turned her father, who killed her stepmother, Lani. The coursing pain of hurt and disgust still lived inside her every time she remembered that night. She gripped the cross around her neck tightly. Her stepmother gave that to her for her 12th birthday. Lani was her mother in many ways, even though the Slayer had still seen her real mother often. Lani died in her arms from the Slayer's father's vampiric bite, but not before using her gypsy powers to bestow upon her gifts that would help with her slaying. The powers to move things with her mind and to freeze things in time were the greatest gifts her stepmother could have ever given her. Lani died a few minutes later. Her father ran. He didn't get far. She remembered Bruce, her Watcher, was so determined to kill Vladimir's clan of vampires. He didn't succeed. The anger and hatred is what pushed her so far in the past year. A tear cut down her cheek as she remembered the moment she found the mangle mess that was once Bruce. He was her best friend in so many ways. She squeezed her eyes closed, caressed her cross, and said a silent prayer in memory of her loved ones. She stood with renewed strength. She wanted this done. This time, they wouldn't escape. This time, she would win.  
  
She strode toward the hut, wondering why nothing attacked her. From the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She saw a vampire coming toward her, ready for a fight. She would not waste her time or energy on this vermin. She froze the bulky vampire in place, and then willed the stake to fly though the air and pierce the vampire's heart. He exploded into dust. She knew there wasn't any honor in killing the vamp in that way, but this wasn't the time for honor. This was the time to kill.  
  
She strode into the dark hallway, not expecting any real trouble. The tunnel curved, then split. She contemplated for a second, then went with her instincts and steered left. The tunnel was cold, and the temperature seemed to be plummeting. Her long hair stuck to the back of her neck. She wished she didn't wear the black leather pants and matching leather jacket. It was simply too hot for it.  
  
She finally reached the heart of the nest. As she suspected Vladimir sat in the middle of the room, his loyal minions surrounding him. She sauntered in as if she owned the nest.  
  
"Nice place you got here, Vlad. But this 'Welcome Back' party is weak.it's kinda dead." She remarked, unsheathing her dead Watcher's sword. "I'm just going to have to kill you for that!"  
  
Vladimir said nothing. His eyes burned into hers. He finally spoke. "Serena, dear, you would like to think that. But you are wrong. You are not going to win." With a motion of his hand, twenty vampires attacked. She sliced her way through the vampires, creating dust piles.  
  
"Vladimir, you're next!" She said angrily. She decapitated another vampire. She glanced at the throne. Vladimir disappeared. She cursed under her breath. Her cheek bled from twin cuts where a vampire's fangs grazed her cheek. She ran out the rear entrance of the nest and ran on top of the hill behind the shack. "Vladimir!!!!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The anger boiled her blood. She sheathed her sword and pocketed her stake. Killing her good pal Vlad would have to wait. She knew where he would go next to get what he wanted.Los Angeles.  
  
Revenge: The Slayer Chronicles  
  
Chapter 1  
  
*2 weeks later...in Los Angeles...  
  
Angel stood ready as Gunn hit the demon his way. He used his axe to chop a blobby arm off. Green slime splashed onto is leather trench coat. He barely noticed. He proceeded to sink the axe into the blob's neck.  
  
"Decapitation doesn't work!!" Angel yelled to Gunn, who got out an old sword and sunk it into the back of the giant, bright green blob of slime. A tidal wave of green goo saturated Angel and Gunn, as well as Wesley, who stood armed and ready, and Cordelia, who just stood dumbfounded. The detectives of Angel Investigation regrouped.  
  
"Who knew that there was that much slime in a blob like that?" Cordelia remarked in disgust. She got no response.  
  
"Let's get home so we can get cleaned up." Angel suggested, and they made their way through the sewer back to the hotel that Angel owned.  
  
After taking their showers, they met in the lobby to talk about the action in town.  
  
"I heard there was a new Slayer in town." Gunn stated. At the mention of "Slayer", Angel's gaze dropped and his shoulder's slouched. Buffy was a Slayer that he loved very much. It was over a year since she died. This new girl was her replacement.  
  
Gunn continued, oblivious to Angel's sudden mood change. "Yeah, supposedly she's some bad ass girl with a major attitude and a mean punch. Maybe we should recruit her for our business or something."  
  
"No, the Slayer will do what she wants and go where she wants. She has her own agenda, her own destiny." Angel dismissed the subject.  
  
Suddenly, the doors to the hotel opened and in walked a girl barely the age of eighteen. She was dressed all in black leather and had a sword around her waist and a stake in her hand. Angel though she looked familiar.  
  
"Which one of you is Angel?" She asked sweetly, making her seem sweet and innocent.  
  
Angel stood. "I am. Are you in some sort of trouble? Is someone out to kill you?" He asked worriedly, taking a step towards her. She noticed he was very handsome, but she pushed the thought aside. She had to focus on what she came to do.  
  
"No, but you should watch your back. You never know who's out to get you." She waved her hand at him and he went flying across the lobby and slammed into the far wall.  
  
"What the hell was that for?" Angel grumbled as he stood up.  
  
"You know my sister." She had a menacing look in her eye. She walked down the few steps gracefully, her long hair flowing behind her. She turned toward Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley. "You three stay out of this, or you'll be next." She growled.  
  
"You're sister?" Angel asked, just as she sent him flying in the other direction.  
  
"Yes, she's a slayer. Faith died and I've come to find my sister." She pulled out a stake.  
  
"Slayer??" He thought quickly. There was dread in his voice. "You can't mean.Buffy?"  
  
She stopped mid-gesture. Her hand dropped, and the angelic expression was back on her face. It was an expression of hope. "I knew that you know my sister!! I was positive!" The deadly look reappeared on her face. "Tell me where she is!"  
  
Angel stood with a heartbreaking look on his face. "I don't know how to tell you this, but." he stopped when he looked into this poor girl's eyes. She was the Slayer that Gunn was talking about. The successor of Buffy, the brand new Slayer.  
  
He motioned toward the couch. "Please, have a seat." She looked doubtfully at the couch. "Really, you won't have to throw me around anymore. I'll tell you everything, and you won't have to use your power." He rubbed the back of his head. "That's a nifty power.where did you get it?"  
  
The Slayer just glared at him and carefully made her way toward the couch and sat down cautiously. She put her stake away. Angel sat down across from her. "Not much for small talk, are you?" Angel commented. "What's your name?" he asked sincerely.  
  
"I have no time for this. Tell me where my sister is, or get the shit beat out of you again. Either way, I'll get it out of you." She threatened. He didn't respond.  
  
"Didn't I tell you that she was a nice firecracker?" Gunn remarked, while sliding on top of the desk.  
  
"Please." She remarked sarcastically, pretending to be sweet. She sighed, as if analyzing her options. "My name is Serena."  
  
"Serena?? Buffy told me about you, her sister Serena from Los Angeles, but I had no clue that you didn't know. I have a feeling that you won't like the answer, but if its what you want, then." Angel trailed off. "You think Faith died?"  
  
"Yes. She must have. Am I right? I didn't know what??" she asked, her eyes searching his for the truth she was seeking. His gaze dropped and he clasped his hands together.  
  
"I'm sorry. I would think someone would contact you, but I guess they didn't." he mumbled.  
  
"You're telling me that Faith didn't die.and that Buffy.for over a year??" she asked, beginning to sob. "My mother.how is she taking it.and Dawn!!" She sat on the edge of the couch, waiting for answers.  
  
"You're mother died a few months before Buffy." Angel said, his eyes not meeting hers.  
  
"What??" She yelled, the pain echoing in the huge lobby. "No, this can't be true.Dawn is my only family left?" Huge sobs began to rack her petite body.  
  
Angel looked at Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia. "Can you guys."  
  
"We'll leave you two alone." Wesley confirmed, his British accent booming.  
  
Angel moved to the couch across from his and sat by the devastated girl. He went to comfort her, but she pushed his hands away. He persisted, and after fighting weakly against him, she collapsed into his arms. He cradled the poor girl, the Chosen One, like a mother cradling a crying baby. He would be there for her because he, too, was crying on the inside. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Do you feel better?" Angel asked quietly after Serena had a hot shower.  
  
Serena pulled the terrycloth robe around her slim body. She used the towel to scrunch and dry her hair. "Yeah, a little." She forced a smile. "Better than before, anyway."  
  
"So if you need anything, just let me know!" Angel said, not forcing any cheerfulness or a smile.  
  
"Angel?" Serena asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah?" He turned at the door.  
  
"Thanks." She gave him a warm smile.  
  
Angel flashed a quick but sincere smile. "You know if you need to talk, I'm here." He hesitated with his next few words. "I don't know what you have been through, and what you're feeling, but."He trailed off, not knowing what to say next. "I'd really like to help you though this. I know it must be hard."  
  
"Well, at least I'm not alone this time when something devastating happens to me. I'm just thankful for that." She sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching her towel tightly. Angel could tell that she was trying her best to keep the emotions and tears inside. She was a strong person.  
  
"Angel?" she asked, her head snapping up.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Um, well, I would like to go to Sunnydale to go see my mother's and sister's grave. Do you think that maybe you could drive me? It's a lot easier than walking down there."  
  
He smiled weakly. "Sure, I'll drive you. I, myself, would like to see her grave too."  
  
"If you give me five minutes and let me change, I can explain everything." She said, standing up.  
  
"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs." He told her then stepped out of the room.  
  
Almost exactly 5 minutes later, Serena shuffled into the lobby and hopped onto the countertop. Angel noted how much relaxed she looked in a cotton long sleeve shirt and baby blue pajama bottoms. She didn't have the Slayer edge like she had before. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up with a few shorter hairs hanging stray. He noticed a similarity between Buffy and Serena. But Serena had darker features. Her hair was darker, with a few lighter streaks, and darker eyes as well. Nevertheless, Serena was beautiful, even without any makeup on.  
  
"You even look pretty when you are ready to go to sleep." Angel commented. He looked at her, really looked at her, his dark eyes penetrating hers.  
  
"You're eyes are brown." Angel noted. "Buffy's were hazel and Dawn's are blue."  
  
"Yeah, I get the dark eyes from my dad." She trailed off as if it pained her to talk about her father.  
  
"So you want to tell me what happened?"  
  
"I guess. There's so much. I don't know where to begin." She sat analyzing everything within the past year. Angel sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on the counter. Serena sighed, then began her story.  
  
"I guess I came here with two missions. One, to find my family. I still want to see Dawn, but I was hoping for Buffy and my mother. Talk about mission impossible. And two, to track down a vampire clan that I've been tracking for over a year, ever since I became the Slayer."  
  
"Why would you have interest in a simple vampire clan? Why not more notorious demons?" Angel questioned.  
  
"I was just about to get to that. A little over a year ago, I became the Slayer. This vampire clan learned of it and the leader, Vladimir, decided to make me weak, then kill me. My father was out of town at the time and wasn't too thrilled when he found out I was training to be Chosen. Needless to say, he wasn't happy at all when he found out that I was the One. Anyway, my buddy Vlad got a hold of my father and turned him. When he came home on time and everything seemed cool, my stepmother and I didn't think twice. Well, until daddy got a little hungry and decided to have a midnight snack, and that my stepmother would do." Serena paused, her eyes closed as she remembered that awful night. "I awoke to a scream. Not a major scream.nothing that would be suspicious to any normal person, but I was. There was terror in the scream. So I went downstairs to the kitchen and found my stepmother lying in a pool of blood and barely hanging onto life." A single tear trickled down her cheek. She continued. "With her last ounce of strength, she past on 2 gifts to me to help me with my slaying. You witnessed those earlier." Angel managed to smile at this.  
  
"Yeah, quite a backhand!" Angel winced and rubbed the back of his head. "I think I have a good sized lump on the back of my head. Thanks to you."  
  
"Sorry." She apologized. "I thought you were a full-fledge vamp.at least that's what a reliable source told me. An unnamed reliable source." Angel raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing.  
  
She continued with her tale. "After my stepmother died, my father, the damn vampire, ran like a coward. I hunted him down and dusted him." She paused, her brow furrowed in concentration. The anger and hurt was apparent on her face. Angel watched her face intently. "You know what?"  
  
"What?" Angel asked curiously.  
  
She contemplated for a few seconds, then looked Angel directly in the eye. "He was the first vampire I ever dusted." She rubbed her temples, and sighed once more. "My Watcher, Bruce, was so intent on finding this clan and killing them as soon as possible. I guess I couldn't move fast enough, because Bruce ran into their lair a few nights after my stepmom died and got himself killed. I found him there the next night." She squeezed her eyes shut, as if to block out the memory. "I have never seen a human body so mangled. It was awful. I never got to tell Bruce how much I loved him." The tears began to stream down her face. Angel leaned forward to consol her. He gently rubbed her back. After a few sniffles, Serena finished her story. "I vowed to kill every vampire in that clan. I've been trying, but it's no use. Vladimir just keeps on slipping away while sending his minions to do his dirty work. So he gets away, and I track him, then try to kill him again, but no matter how much I try, he always gets away." The tears were replaced by growing anger.  
  
"I can help, if you like." Angel offered. "I have a pretty mean backhand, although not quite as unique as yours. I would really like to help you. Buffy would have, so I am going to."  
  
"I don't want you to do this because Buffy would have." She argued.  
  
"If I can help Buffy's family, or avenge it or something, it would help me move on. Really, I want to."  
  
"All right, but on one condition." She said.  
  
"Name it." Angel replied.  
  
"I dust Vladimir. You can dust all of the vampires you want. Have fun with them, torture them.I don't care. But you leave Vladimir to me." Sparks of fury danced in her eyes.  
  
"Sure." Angel said.  
  
"The sun's about to come up. I'm going to bed." She yawned. "If you need anything killed, come up and get me." She grinned.  
  
"Or I could send Gunn." Angel argued. "I wouldn't want you wake you."  
  
"That smart mouth asshole?? Yeah right!" Serena scoffed, beginning to walk up the steps with Angel only a few steps behind her. "You need a real killer, not a wannabe. Just wake me up, okay?"  
  
Even Angel let out a small laugh. "Sure. And I won't tell Gunn you called him a smart mouth asshole and a wannabe. That way you'll get on his bad side."  
  
"Go ahead and tell him. Hell, I'll tell him. I'm not scared of him. All I have to do is freeze him in time!!" she remarked confidently.  
  
"Go to bed. And watch what you say to Gunn, or he'll get ticked." Angel commanded.  
  
"Too bad. Night!!" Serena called, before disappearing into her room and closing the door behind her. Angel just shook his head. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Serena arose around 5 'o clock in the afternoon after an interrupted sleep. She checked her reflection before walking downstairs and found dark bags under her eyes and her hair shooting in every direction. She groaned.  
  
'Might as well get dressed and put some makeup on for tonight.' She thought to herself. She grabbed her brush and got ready in 15 minutes. After hair and makeup, she put on a pair of olive leather pants, a black tank top, and a netted top over that, that had a wide neckline (it went to her shoulders) and strung all the way down the her thumb. Her thumbs poked through a whole on each sleeve. She quickly zipped up her leather boots and grabbed her leather jacket, checking to make sure a stake was still in the pocket, and her sheath and sword, and strode downstairs.  
  
"Afternoon!" She called out into the empty lobby. She checked behind the counter, but no one was there. She threw her jacket and sword onto the empty couch and stood in the middle of the giant lobby alone.  
  
"Hello?" She called. Cordelia walked through the door.  
  
"Oh, you're up. Gunn and Angel are out nailing a demon. Wesley's at his place trying to find some info on this demon." Cordelia informed, busying herself behind the lobby counter.  
  
"Hello? Slayer here! Why didn't they ask me to go with them?" She wondered, feeling a slight twang of hurt.  
  
"Angel said he didn't want to wake you. He also said that you went through a lot and needed your rest." Cordelia informed her.  
  
"Yes, I went through a lot, but it's all in the past. I'm dealing with that. As for my mom and sister, it hasn't quite hit me yet." She defended. She sank down into the couch. "I guess I didn't get to formally introduce myself." Serena stood and walked toward the counter.  
  
"No, I guess not, with all the flying around last night." Cordy remarked under her breath, but loud enough for Serena to hear.  
  
"No, I guess not. I hope there are no hard feelings. I just got the wrong impression of everything. I'm Serena." She held out her hand.  
  
"No, there aren't any hard feelings. Just don't do that again." Cordelia smiled at her. "Cordelia." They shook hands briefly. "And don't blame Angel. He is just worried about you. And you should be blaming me. I had a vision and sent them away and really didn't let them argue." She smiled apologetically.  
  
"You have visions?" Serena asked, stunned.  
  
"Yeah, but you would think they would be simple and not painful. Wrong. My head feels like it explodes every time I get a vision. Trust me. Not fun." Cordelia cringed at the thought of it.  
  
"Wow. That sucks." Serena said sympathetically.  
  
"Anyway, the gang should be back soon. And if not, I'll send you out after them." Cordelia winked.  
  
"Well, I'm bored. Do you need any bookwork done or anything?" Serena asked hopefully. "Yeah, you can help me look up the demon from my vision." Cordelia tossed her a book, then came from behind the counter with a stack of books and sat across from her.  
  
Pretty soon, Serena found the demon after using Cordelia's description of the demon to help her nail it.  
  
"Found it! I think." Serena held up the picture for Cordelia to see.  
  
"That's it." Cordelia agreed. "That's ugly." The demon was 10 feet tall, according to the book. It was a Tryclar demon. It looked as if it were make of rock.  
  
"Yeah, it is." Serena scrunched her face. "I would hate to wake up with that face every morning!"  
  
"Let's call up Angel on the cell phone." Cordy was on the phone within a matter of seconds.  
  
"Hello?" Angel's voice boomed from the phone.  
  
"Angel, we found the demon." Cordy's voice had an urgency.  
  
"Wow, perfect timing. So did we." Angel cracked.  
  
"Serena, how do you kill it?" Cordy demanded.  
  
"Umm."Serena skimmed the page. "It says here that you can kill a Tryclar demon by water, fire, or decapitation. I think that's it."  
  
Cordelia relayed the killing ways, and hung up the phone. "Angel said that he's gonna need your help. C'mon, I can drive you."  
  
Serena quickly grabbed her jacket and sword and was out the door behind Cordelia.  
  
  
  
"Gunn, watch your back. Its angry and hungry!" Angel called from the abandoned warehouse in South Los Angeles. They both were battered and bruised from the furious demon. Angel didn't know how much longer they could last. He had cuts on his chest and his face.  
  
"So the only way you can kill it is fire, water, or decapitation??" Gunn asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah." Angel focused on hitting the 10-foot demon in its weak points.  
  
"I vote for decapitation! I mean, where are we gonna get water? It's drier than the Sahara here! And fire? No matches!" Gunn amused himself by going over his options.  
  
"And decapitation? Tried it! Now, I can't get my axe back! The damn thing is stuck in its neck!" Angel shot back, annoyed.  
  
"I don't know! What's your bright idea?" Gunn snapped, dodging a swiping claw.  
  
"We drown it!" a female voice answered.  
  
Both fighters turned towards the huge sliding entrance doors. There stood Serena holding a large fire hose, Cordelia at her side. Angel was suddenly knocked in the back and thrown across the warehouse into a pile of crates. Cordelia went to go help Angel.  
  
"Gunn, you idiot, unless you want a free shower, I suggest you get out of the way!" Serena shouted. Gunn shot her a dirty look and reluctantly took a few steps back. Serena let the water loose and watched with amazement as the demon began to steam and shrivel up, becoming a puddle of brown goo. It was gone within a matter of minutes.  
  
Serena shut off the hose, and ran to go check on Angel. Cordelia was helping him up. Serena took his arm and wrapped it around her neck to help support Angel.  
  
"Everyone goes to check on Angel. No one checks on Gunn." Muttered Gunn. Cordy rolled her eyes and ran to help Gunn.  
  
"You okay?" Serena whispered worriedly.  
  
"I will be. I'm immortal, remember?" he reminded her gently as they limped out into the twilight.  
  
"But you'll be sore." She propped Angel up against the car to check his face. There was a bruise on his left cheek, and his lip was cracked and bleeding freely. Angel licked his lips and groaned. "Ouch. I'll fix you up when we get back to the hotel." Angel nodded weakly.  
  
Back at the hotel, Serena helped Angel up to his room with an ice pack and a wet rag.  
  
"Lemme get changed, okay? Just turn your back or something." Angel requested. Serena just nodded politely and turned her back.  
  
"This is a nice room. You have the whole balcony thing going on. Why don' t I have a balcony?" She asked.  
  
"If you want one, I can give you another room. I have plenty here." Angel told her, his voice slightly muffled.  
  
"No, I'm just pulling your leg. I don't need one." Serena smiled. "Are you decent yet?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"Yeah, you can turn around. I'm good" Angel replied. Then, as she turned as saw that he had his back to her and was naked from the waist up, her heart began to pound. She paused, hypnotized by the sleek taper of the muscles in his back and his arms, the smooth skin at the nape of his neck. A large tattoo of a flying creature rippled on his right shoulder as he moved slightly, and she stirred from her daze and said, "Nice tattoo." He turned and struggled to walk toward his bed.  
  
"Oh, let me help you!" she said to him and helped him into bed. "There." She said as he settled in. She propped up a few pillows for him to lean against. "Now let me see that bruise and those cuts." She used peroxide to clean the cut on his cheek. Angel winced, his face scrunching.  
  
Then she began to bandage his wounds, making sure her complete concentration was on the abrasions. Angel stared at her face, studying it. She really is beautiful. He thought.  
  
"What?" she asked looking in his eyes. He has beautiful eyes. So piercing, so brooding and mysterious. She thought to herself. She shyly diverted her gaze and put her full attention onto his wounds. Her heart was running rampant.  
  
"It's amazing." Angel stated in wonderment.  
  
"What?" she asked curiously, glancing into his eyes for a moment, then busied herself with cleaning his chest wound.  
  
"You look so much like your sister. I see her in you." Angel reached a hand toward her face and lightly cradled her chin with his fingers. They locked into a gaze. His touch felt like electricity, magick. He stared deeply into her eyes. A rush of warmth shot through her; head to toes, she tingled. Her face was hot, her hands were cold. Desire mounted in her with every heartbeat. After a few moments she forced herself to look away and finish bandaging his wounds. Disappointed, he dropped his hand back onto his stomach. The moment was gone.  
  
"There, done." She quickly stood up. "Well goodnight!" She smiled and shut off the light.  
  
"Goodnight." Angel murmured, thinking of her. Her hands on his body had been gentle and careful. He still felt her touch as he drifted off into slumber. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
The grass was a lot greener and lusher then Serena imagined grass in a graveyard could be. She just stood there, overlooking the graveyard, not knowing where to look for the graves she didn't want to see. She was terrified of coming there, although she didn't show it. At twilight, they had left Los Angeles, and within a few hours, they were in Sunnydale. She was shaking, and quiet on the ride down. Angel just stared at the road and took a few deep breaths of the fresh air that blew in his face.  
  
Serena was very good at hiding her emotions, tucking them deep inside where no one could reach them and reveal them. Deep down, she was scared of letting her feelings show. She also knew, with Angel there, he would see these emotions and that scared her too. She would just try to compose herself as much as she could. She face was so rigid; it seemed it was carved from wood. It was expressionless, empty.  
  
Angel led her to her mother's grave. Serena took a few steps forward and collapsed to her knees. The sadness ate at her, and within a few seconds, her face was wet with tears. Her face was no longer empty, but filled with hopeless sadness.  
  
"Mom." she whispered, caressing the soft grass. "Mommy." Her voice shook. She leaned forward and touched the granite headstone. Her fingers outlined the curved writing as she closed her eyes. "Mommy, I miss you so much!" she murmured hoarsely. "I hate myself for not being here when you needed me the most. I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry." She couldn't say anymore. Angel watched from a distance. His unbeating heart broke for her.  
  
After a long time, she said her last words. "I love you mom. I really do." She kissed her hand and laid it down on the ground, as if to kiss her mother goodbye.  
  
Serena turned around. Her face was blotchy, her eyes bloodshot. A tear slid down her cheek as she walked away. She hastily wiped it away as she stepped toward Angel. Without a word, Angel put an arm around her to comfort her and soon found Buffy's grave. Angel walked with Serena up to the grave. She silently began to sob, reading the words on her gravestone, whispering the words as she read.  
  
"Buffy Anne Summers 1981-2001 Beloved sister Devoted friend She saved the world A lot"  
  
"Its true." Serena whispered. "Now I carry on the torch. I'm going to do this for her. To show her that if I did half of the things she did for the world, that would make me the best Slayer. I want her and mom to see that in heaven." Tears streamed down her face. She turned to look Angel in the face. There were tears in his eyes. She read his expression.  
  
"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" she asked, searching his features. He nodded slowly.  
  
"I did." He replied, his first words since they left Los Angeles. Serena gently took him into an embrace and held him tightly. This gesture surprised Angel. He wrapped his arms around her slim body, and the tears spilled onto his cheeks. They held on to each other tightly until there were no more tears left to shed. They got back into the convertible and left Sunnydale behind.  
  
  
  
The next day, Serena was up by 11am. She had barely slept a wink the night before, and felt tired, but she pushed it aside, and got up out of bed. She changed quickly and made her way downstairs. Angel was up, sorting through the mess of papers on the counter.  
  
"Morning." Serena mumbled, rubbing her face and yawning.  
  
Angel held a cup of coffee in his hand as he searched the piles of paper. He looked up. "Oh, morning. What are you doing up? I didn't expect you up for a while yet!" Angel commented, looking back down at what he was doing.  
  
"I couldn't sleep, so I figured, why should I be in bed doing nothing if I could be down here doing nothing?" She poured herself a hot cup of coffee and sipped it. "How about you? I'm surprised to find Mr. Nocturnal up in the middle of the day."  
  
"Same as you.couldn't sleep." He shrugged.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Angel glanced back up at her as she just stared off into space. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Yeah, just tired. I still feel crappy from yesterday, I guess." She shrugged helplessly.  
  
"You don't look to great." He commented.  
  
"Thanks a lot!"  
  
"No, I didn't mean it like that. You just look incredibly tired." He explained quickly.  
  
"I know what you meant. I was just kidding." She smiled weakly. "So what's on the agenda today?"  
  
Gosh, he really does have the most penetrating eyes I've ever seen! She thought.  
  
"Actually, good news. Gunn heard some stuff about your clan." Angel said.  
  
Her head snapped up. "What kind of stuff? Did he find out where the nest was?" She asked quickly, standing up.  
  
"Um, yeah, I think so. You'll have to check with him when he comes in." Angel said absentmindedly.  
  
"When he comes in? When will that be?" she asked loudly.  
  
"I don't know.probably not until tonight."  
  
"Tonight?! That's too far away. I'm going to find him now." She grabbed her sword.  
  
"Wait, hold on. You have plenty of time to find them."  
  
"Angel, I've been tracking those damn bloodsuckers for over a year. I want this done, over with. I'm sick and tired of them getting away. Tell me where to find Gunn." She argued angrily.  
  
"Calm down. Do you realize that I can't help you because it's in the middle of the day?" Angel asked calmly.  
  
"I can do the job myself! I'm a big girl. I'm the Slayer." She said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to finish this job, okay?" Just then, Gunn made his appearance.  
  
"Gunn, you need to tell me where the nest for the clan I'm tracking is." Serena called immediately.  
  
"Calm down, girl! You need to chill!" Gunn commented. Anger built up in Serena.  
  
"Tell me where to find it!" She yelled. If he doesn't tell me, I'll break his neck! She fumed.  
  
"Okay, in some woods north of here!" Gunn said defensively. Serena was out of the door in a blink of an eye.  
  
"Wait, Serena!!" Angel called after her. He was not heard. "Gunn, follow her. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."  
  
"Man, I don't want to go chasing her!! That's just a pain in my ass!" Gunn complained.  
  
"You're going to have bigger pains if you don't go!" Angel threatened.  
  
"Okay, okay! I'm gone. I'll call you from the cell phone." Gunn said flatly, then ran out of the hotel after Serena. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Serena made her way through the woods. It was beginning to grow dark and she was starting to get hungry. She had been wandering the woods for hours. She was afraid she was lost. There was a chill in the air that gave her goosebumps. She felt as if she was wandering around in circles. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know where the nest was, and she didn't know her way out of the woods. She felt herself losing faith. She saw a movement out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't react fast enough. Something heavy hit her in the back of the head and she blacked out.  
  
  
  
"Angel, I lost her. She just disappeared. I think she knew I was following her and purposefully disappeared." Gunn said into the cell phone.  
  
"Okay, I need you to get back here. Get Wesley and Cordelia on your way here." Angel commanded, then hung up.  
  
After picking up Wesley and Cordy, Gunn met Angel at the hotel. Angel sat, rubbing his temples. "So where exactly did you lose her?" Angel asked.  
  
"In the woods. It was starting to get dark, and one minute she's there, the next minute she's gone. It was like she just disappeared into thin air, man. It was weird." Gunn shook his head in exasperation. Angel was lost in thought.  
  
"My guess is that she is either at the nest kicking some vampire named Vladimir's ass, or something's gone wrong. She's been gone for 10 hours." Angel concluded.  
  
"I'd say something went wrong. It's been far too long just to go out and kill some simple vampires." Wesley agreed, his British accent making him sound like some sort of professor.  
  
"Brilliant, Wes!" Cordelia applauded. "That much is obvious. But how do we find her? She's probably lost in the woods somewhere! Or captured by the nest of vampires!"  
  
"I know. The woods are huge. I don't know how to find her." Angel said helplessly.  
  
"What about the karaoke demon dude?" Gunn suggested. "Couldn't he foresee where she is?"  
  
Within a matter of seconds, Angel was out of the door, Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia following.  
  
  
  
"Tie her up!" Vladimir ordered. "Keep the blindfold on her and her hands bound! We can't have her using her black magick, now can we?"  
  
Serena struggled against the rough hands that were hanging her up. She cursed out loud but it only came out muffled against the gag. She tried kicking something as they chained her feet together and up against the wall.  
  
"You will not get the pleasure of being killed right away, since you caused me so much trouble over the past year. No, I would rather disfigure that beautiful face first and let you feel pain then kill you when you are barely clinging to life." Vlad hissed with pleasure.  
  
Serena was able to spit out her gag. "Go to hell, you bastard!" she spat angrily.  
  
"Take off her blindfold, and watch her carefully. Leave out the gag.I want to hear her scream." Vladimir smiled with anticipation.  
  
The blindfold was ripped off and Serena's temper soared at the sight of Vladimir. "Let's begin the torture. Where would you like to start??" Serena remained silent, but glared at Vladimir.  
  
"Oh, nothing to say? We'll see how long that lasts. Well, I suppose we'll start with sharp, shall we?" Vlad picked up a shiny dagger from a table and walked menacingly close to her, until he was only a few feet away. Light danced across the sharp blade. Serena closed her eyes in fear and began to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming. She felt the blade sink into her cheek and the blood began to trickle down and drip. She squeezed her eyes closed, but did not cry out in pain. Instead, she bit on her lip hard and wished that there were some way out of this mess. She felt another cut, this time on her arm, through the fabric. The knife sank through the muscle almost to the bone before he withdrew. She bit her lip so hard it began to bleed.  
  
"Why aren't you screaming?" Vladimir asked sweetly. "There isn't enough pain for you?" She ignored him and stared off at a distant candle flickering in the cave. He walked up to her again, his face barely an inch from hers. He flicked his tongue out and licked her cheek where it bled. She turned the cut away from him in disgust. Vladimir, in anger, reared back and slapped her repeatedly in the face. Her face showed no emotion, but when he looked into her dark, penetrating eyes, he saw a flicker of fear. Vladimir let out a low laugh, then returned to his table of torture items. "Hot." he murmured to himself with a wide smile on his face. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the heat and pain.  
  
  
  
Angel walked into the karaoke bar and went right up to the green, horned, psychic demon.  
  
"Hi, no time for talk. There's trouble. I need your help." Angel said, getting right to the point.  
  
"Hiya, buddy! Haven't seen you around in a while!" the demon greeted in his usual friendliness.  
  
"Um, Angel?" Cordelia asked urgently.  
  
"Not now, Cordelia. I need to find out about Serena." Angel snapped.  
  
"Angel, vision!" Cordelia called before collapsing to the floor from the mind splitting vision.  
  
"Oh, vision!" Angel whirled around to help Cordelia. "Why didn't you say so?"  
  
A few seconds after the vision started, it ended. Wesley and Gunn helped Cordelia up.  
  
"Cordy? What did you see?" Angel asked hurriedly.  
  
"Oh, no!" She cried. She looked directly into Angel's eyes. "Angel, Serena is in trouble."  
  
"What's wrong?" Wesley asked. "What kind of trouble?"  
  
"They captured her and now they're torturing her for their own twisted pleasure. I could feel the pain all over her body. It feels like they're burning her to death." Cordy cupped her head in pain.  
  
"Do you know where she is?" Wesley asked.  
  
"A cave, in the woods. Its their nest." Cordelia replied.  
  
"Dead Man's Cave." Gunn said thoughtfully. Angel gave Gunn and Wesley a look, then began to walk from the bar.  
  
"Oh, Angel?" Cordelia called. "Hurry." He nodded, then walked out of the bar with Gunn, Wesley staying behind to help Cordy.  
  
  
  
"Dammit, she's passed out!" Vladimir cursed. "We'll just have to wait until our little beautiful Slayer wakes up, I suppose." He sighed in exasperation. "It really is too much fun, torturing the poor girl. I almost feel sorry for her." He shook his head. "But I can't believe that she didn't scream once!"  
  
He put down the red-hot poker and sat down. He admired his handy-work. The Slayer's face was disfigured with cuts and bruises. There were blotches of blood seeping into her clothes where she bled from deep cuts. She had several burn marks from the searing poker. He was very proud of himself. This was the best torture he has ever done in his entire 185 years as a vampire.  
  
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the cave mouth. "What is it now?" The leader vampire grumbled, as he stood up. He walked toward the entrance and instead of meeting one of his vampires, he met a flying fist. He was knocked backwards into his throne by Angel.  
  
"Gunn, cover me!" Angel called when he spotted Serena chained up against the wall. He almost didn't recognize her. "Oh, my god!" he whispered, not believing the figure in front of him was Serena. Her face was bloody and burned. Her eyes opened slightly, and tried to make out the figure in front of her.  
  
"Angel?" she asked. "Is that you?" Her words slurred together.  
  
"It's me, sweetheart. I'm going to get you out of here." He analyzed the chains and gave them a good tug. They were ripped from the cave wall. He continued until she was free. She slumped against the wall.  
  
"So tired, Angel. So tired." She mumbled. He ignored her and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.  
  
"Gunn, let's go. I got her." Angel hollered, and began to run through the woods. He heard Gunn's footsteps behind him. After a short run, they reached the car.  
  
"You drive." Angel tossed him his keys. Angel got in the back with an unconscious Serena.  
  
"Where?" Gunn asked, starting the car.  
  
"Back home. She's a Slayer. She heals quickly." Angel commanded.  
  
"But, man, she don't look that good." Gunn told him. Even though he and the Slayer weren't best of friends, he was still worried about her.  
  
"Just drive. I don't think anything's broken, so she'll be fine. Just go." Angel told him. Angel studied Serena's unconscious face. It was peaceful now, as if she were sleeping. No pain distorted her beautiful face. Angel began to check her wounds. There were many. There were cuts, bruises, and burns.  
  
"You're going to be fine." Angel whispered as they drove on. "Just fine." He held onto her until they reached the hotel. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
He laid her down on his bed and didn't know where to start bandaging her wounds. There were cuts and gouges everywhere, as well as burns and bruises. He gently propped her up with a few of his pillows and set to work. He cleaned and dressed all of her cuts starting with her face. He worked like a machine until an hour until dawn, when he was finally finished. He had to undress her to get to some of the burns and cuts, but had left her in her underwear. Quite a few times, he found himself tracing the curve of her barely clad body. Her skin was soft and warm. He had to shake himself from the memorization and continue working. When he was done, he gently tucked a blanket around her shoulders, shut off the light, and sat in a chair and watched Serena sleep. The moonlight from the open balcony door cast onto her face, making her seem dark and mysterious. He could smell her blood that had long since dried. A hunger grew inside of him, not for her blood, but for her. He got up and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He poured himself some pig's blood into a mug and turned toward Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia, who sat with worried expressions on their faces. Angel sipped his blood, then said, "She's fine. She's sleeping now."  
  
"Good. Damn, I was worried." Gunn muttered under his breath. It echoed in the large room. Everyone stared at him. "What! She looked really bad! I don't want human beings to die! And she's a human being, that's all!" Gunn defended.  
  
"I'm going to check on her, to make sure she's all right." Wesley reported.  
  
"No!" Angel said forcefully. Wesley raised an eyebrow. "She's sleeping. She shouldn't be disturbed." He explained.  
  
"Fine, I'll check on her later. But I think that we all need some rest, so everyone should meet here in about five or six hours." Wesley told everyone, who nodded, then left. Angel finished his cup of blood, then went back into his room. Rose colors began to tinge the night sky. Angel gave the sky a longing look, then pulled the drapes shut, plunging the room into eerie darkness. He sat and watched Serena sleep, remembering the way she had been at the graveyard only a few days ago. He knew that he saw a side of her that not many people see. Most people just see the Slayer, the fighter, and the ego and sarcastic remarks that go along with it. He didn't see the Slayer that day. He saw Serena, a young girl who had endured a lot of pain and loss in her life. He saw a person much like himself and it scared him. He knew, to the depths of his soul, that he was falling in love with her.  
  
Serena stirred, and began to mumble. Her voice rose as if scared. Angel stood quickly and seated himself next to her, watching her face as it creased with pain and fear. He carefully shook her shoulders, but she didn't wake. Her head tossed back and forth and she struggled against him. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she called out, "Mom! Buffy!" She called out blindly to them.  
  
"Serena, its Angel. It's okay." Her eyes met his and recognition lit her face. She stopped struggling and collapsed against him as tears spilled onto her cheeks.  
  
"Angel, I saw them here. They were in this room and they came to see me, but then they went away. I didn't want them to go. I felt empty without them." The words came stumbling out into his neck. He held her tightly, and she clung to him as if she would never be able to let go. She looked him in the eye, her eyes still watery. "Angel, I have no one in the world left. All I have is Dawn, but she's not my real sister, right? She's some sort of key. I have no family, no Watcher, no friends, no love.nothing." Their foreheads touched and they gazed at each other. Angel wiped the tears from her face and stared into her eyes. Then, his lips were on hers. It was the softest kiss; tender, unsure.  
  
Angel, Angel, Serena sang inside, her dream long forgotten. Everything else fell away: being the Slayer and being seventeen and being anywhere but in Angel's arms kissing Angel's mouth.  
  
They both tensed as the kiss became more passionate. Yes. She gave herself to the moment, held tightly in his arms as she kissed him fiercely and he kissed her back with increasing intensity. His hand gripped her arms pulling her closer, then gently broke the kiss.  
  
"Now, you have me." He breathed, and brought her into a warm, fiery embrace.  
  
"Now, I have you." She agreed, and they continued the kiss. After a few minutes, Serena, who was exhausted from the torture a few hours before, fell asleep on Angel's shoulder, where she felt the most comfort. He carefully tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and then climbed next to her. He fell asleep soon after, listening to the sound of her steady beating heart. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Serena blinked, then closed her eyes and tried to move. Her body objected and she groaned. The past events of the last 12 hours flooded her mind. She re-opened her eyes.  
  
This isn't my room. Wait, this is Angel's room. What am I doing in here? She thought, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered. The kiss. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought. She rolled over and found Angel sprawled next to her. She laughed quietly as she watched him sleep. She painfully got out of bed, limped to the other side, and pulled the blankets over Angel. She kissed him softly then went downstairs on the hunt for food. She found Wesley and Cordelia working.  
  
"Wow, what are you doing up?" Cordelia demanded. She ran to help Serena down the last remaining stairs.  
  
"Thanks." Serena smiled graciously.  
  
Cordelia gave her a once over. "Well, you look better than last night, but still pretty beat up." She commented. Serena yawned.  
  
Serena, for the first time since she woke, noticed it was dark outside. "Yeah, it's one of the perks for being the Slayer. I heal quickly." She sat and rubbed her head. "On the downside, every demon that doesn't have a soul chases after you and they capture you and torture you until you pass out." She quipped.  
  
Wesley sat next to her. "Do you mind if I take a look at your wounds?" Wesley asked.  
  
"No, go ahead. Just at the nasty ones in decent places." Serena pointed out.  
  
"Oh, right." Wesley said, engrossing in her arm wound. Serena shifted uncomfortably. He poked and prodded for a half-hour before Angel stumbled downstairs.  
  
"Angel! So glad you're here. Call your sniffing bloodhound off me!" She exclaimed, standing up quickly.  
  
"What's going on?" Angel said curiously.  
  
"She said I could check out her wounds." Wesley defended himself.  
  
"Yes, I said check out, not perform a clinical study on each of my body parts!" Serena retorted, standing beside Angel for protection. Wesley went back to work organizing his desk.  
  
Angel took a good look at Serena. She had healed quite a bit while sleeping, but was still in bad shape.  
  
"You look better." He told her softly. He scratched his head and asked even softer, "Did we, uh, kiss last night?"  
  
Serena turned a bright pink. She just nodded.  
  
"Good, because I thought it was a dream." Angel said thankfully, smiling. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Better than earlier. I'm still really sore, but I'm healing quickly." She replied. "I'm tired. And hungry." She admitted.  
  
"Well, go upstairs, to my room, and I'll bring you something." He ordered sweetly. She gave him a dirty look, but did as he asked.  
  
He grabbed a fresh doughnut and a glass of milk and followed her upstairs. He found her in bed, in the pitch black, staring through the window at the full moon. He turned on the light and sat next to her.  
  
"Here." He handed her the doughnut and set the glass of milk down on the night table. "Thanks." She began to eat her doughnut quietly.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Serena clasped Angel's hand. "I never got to thank you for saving my life yesterday. You were my Knight in Shining Armor, as well as my doctor."  
  
"You would have done the same for me. I'd like to think so anyway." He replied, shrugging.  
  
"So what do we do about the vamps now?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I guess we should wait until you're healed, then we'll go together and kick their ass." He replied.  
  
"Sounds good." Serena said, settling back into the pillows.  
  
"Sleep now. We'll talk later." He told her. He went to stand, but she grabbed his wrist.  
  
"Don't go. Just keep me company for a while." She begged.  
  
He hesitated, then nodded. He turned off the lights, and laid next to her, his arms around her, protecting her from her nightmares. She felt safe in his arms and soon fell asleep.  
  
  
  
A week later.  
  
"You look a lot better." Wesley commented, checking Serena's wounds. "You heal very quickly."  
  
"Yup, it's the whole Slayer thing as you know." She said rolling up her sleeve and standing up. The bright smile she had on her face soured, turning to a small frown. "Has anyone heard anything about my vamps?"  
  
"No, not yet, but I'm sure we'll hear something soon." Cordelia reassured. "Either that or I'll get a mind-splitting vision about them." She commented, her face grimacing at the thought of a vision.  
  
"Gunn is checking if anyone heard anything." Angel said, joining the conversation. He sipped his warm pig's blood and read the newspaper.  
  
"I'm bored." Serena complained, sighing loudly. She walked behind Angel and leaned against his back heavily, and buried her head into the back of his muscular shoulder.  
  
Gunn walked in with a smile on his face. Serena looked up. "Uh oh, he's smiling. There's only two reasons why he would be smiling. Either he just got laid or he got to beat up one of his informants for the info." She grinned. "Am I right?"  
  
"I got to beat someone's ass." Angel started to object. "Don't worry, I didn't hurt him.seriously."  
  
"So what did you find out?" Serena asked impatiently.  
  
"I was just gonna get to that." Gunn gave her an evil look. "Promise not to run out of here and get yourself tortured?"  
  
Serena glared at Gunn, and spat, "Just tell us."  
  
"Okay, in an abandoned slaughterhouse, Pinnaca and 25th. Your boys are sucking blood down there." Gunn said, giving in.  
  
"You ready?" Serena asked Angel.  
  
"Are you ready?" Angel asked, eyeing her.  
  
"Let's go dust some vampires." She told him.  
  
"Good luck." Wesley called after them.  
  
"We'll be in touch on the cell phone." Angel told him.  
  
"Come back in one piece, please." Cordelia told them.  
  
"We will." Serena promised.  
  
They hopped into the car and drove into the night. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
"There's about four or five at the entrance, and about 2 in the back." Serena reported after doing a sweep around the slaughterhouse.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Angel asked, keeping an eye out for unwanted vamps that might come their way.  
  
"You go in the front entrance, pretty much scaring everything in there, making Vlad run out the rear entrance where he'll meet me and I'll dust him. This shouldn't take more than ten minutes." She told him smiling.  
  
"Feeling cocky today, aren't you?" Angel asked, laughing weakly.  
  
"I owe them. They killed my family and the man I loved." She turned to him. "I can't let that happen again. I just can't." A single tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away hastily.  
  
"It won't." Angel promised her. He kissed her warmly, and hugged her fiercely.  
  
"Come back to me." She pleaded, hugging him back tightly.  
  
"I will." He kissed her forehead, then stood. She kissed his cheek then cautiously ran to the rear entrance of the building.  
  
Angel punched one vampire in the face and staked another. He cracked two other vampire's heads together. He quickly staked the remaining vampires and made his way inside. The room he walked into was dark, but he could see because of his vampire eyes.  
  
"Vlad, I have a bone to pick with you. See, you tortured someone I care a lot about, so now you are in for a major ass kicking." Angel called out into the darkness. Suddenly, a mob of a dozen vampires attacked him.  
  
"Please, kick ass, just as long it isn't mine." Vladimir fled to the rear entrance and turned around. "Have fun!" he waved, and turned back around to find the Slayer right in front of him.  
  
"Not so fast, Vladimir." She growled. "You're not getting away, not this time."  
  
His eyes shifted from left to right, trying to find a way out. There was no other way. The vampire with a soul blocked the front exit, and the Slayer blocked the rear.  
  
"Face it, Vlad. There's no way out except through me." An evil fire danced in her eyes as she smiled cruelly. "So come on. I dare you. Try to get through me. But you'll die trying." She promised.  
  
Vladimir unsheathed a sword and prepared himself for the fight. Serena did the same. Serena made the first move and the swords began to clash together. Beads of sweat formed on Serena's forehead and her hair stuck to the back of her neck. She concentrated on her swordplay. She kicked the vampire's face, and shoved an elbow into his jaw. Angel watched in fascination as she threw herself horizontally and spun, her feet wrapping around Vladimir's neck and throwing him down.  
  
"Wow." Angel muttered to himself, then got back to work. He dusted two more vampires.  
  
Serena was able to take Vladimir's sword away and slide it across the floor. She breathed deeply.  
  
"I win." She announced, holding the sword to his neck. Vladimir backed up into a wall. One of his minions threw a sword to Vladimir and he looked triumphant. He held the sword to the Slayer's neck.  
  
"Ha! You thought you won!" he boasted.  
  
"I did win." She said quietly, and with a wave of a hand, the sword flew up into the ceiling, where the tip was buried deep into the wood frame of the slaughterhouse.  
  
With a triumphant look in her eye, Serena flicked her wrist and Vladimir's head bounced once on the floor by her foot, but was dust by the next bounce. She turned toward Angel, who stood among several dust piles. He was sweating, but in one piece. She walked toward him exhausted and they embraced.  
  
"It's finally done." She whispered happily. "It's done." They left the slaughterhouse behind them together. 


	9. Chapter 9 and Epilogue

Chapter 9  
  
Serena finished off the three vamps that were attacking her and flew at the remaining two attacking Angel. She decapitated one, while Angel staked the other. Serena dusted off her hands and smoothed her hair. Serena eyed Angel. She remembered talking with Cordelia the previous morning about asking Angel to go out, not on a date, but just to go out somewhere, since he seemed to be taking his sweet old time asking her.  
  
"He's just been doing nothing. We've been doing nothing." Serena informed Cordelia sadly. "I just don't know what to do." She sighed, feeling confused.  
  
"Ask him to coffee." Cordy told her expertly. "It's the non-relationship drink of choice. It's not a date, it's a caffienated beverage. Okay, it's hot and bitter, in a relationship way, but---" Angel walked into the room and Cordelia shut her mouth.  
  
Serena came back to reality and took a deep breath. "I was just thinking. Wouldn't it be funny if we could see each other it it's not a slaying thing or just hanging around thing?" She waited for him for him to say something. He just stared at her. She added, "Not funny ha ha."  
  
His face hardly changed at all. "What are you saying, you want to have a date?"  
  
"No." Was she saying that? And what would be wrong with a date, anyway? After the way he kissed her---  
  
"You don't want to have a date," he stated.  
  
Hey, wait, don't shut that door, she thought anxiously. "Who said date? I never said date."  
  
"Right, you just wanted to have coffee or something." What, was he a mind reader? How did he know about---  
  
"Coffee?" she echoed.  
  
"I knew this would happen." He sounded kind of tired. Or resigned.  
  
"What? What do you think is happening?" Her voice was a high and shrill. She had to lower it. She had to be cooler.  
  
"We need to talk." He sighed loudly.  
  
"What? What do we need to talk about?" she asked, much cooler this time.  
  
"Listen, there's no easy way of saying this, but this can never work. I'm 245 years old and you're seventeen."  
  
"I've done the math." She said, trying not to sound hurt.  
  
"You don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you want." He went on, crushing everything crushable about her ego. He sounded so above it all. He sounded like he knew what he didn't want.  
  
"Oh, no? I think I do. I've been on my own for over a year. I've been an adult since I was fourteen. I had to learn the hard way about life and knowing what I want." She told him defiantly.  
  
"But you are still seventeen." He protested.  
  
"Yeah, seventeen going on forty. Sure, I may not know my destiny or anything, but I'm sick of you treating me like a child. You need to realize I do know what I'm doing and know what I want." The anger rose in her voice. "Don't you think it's a little late to be reading me the warning label?"  
  
She turned and ran from him, not wanting to finish the argument. She just ran.  
  
  
  
For the next few days, Serena walked around depressed. She didn't eat and hardly slept. She had lost the spark she had before. Angel had a stone face and had an attitude with every one. Cordelia, knowing what was going on, watched the whole lot of nothing going on. Besides a few cordial words, Serena and Angel steered clear of each other. Cordelia kept her mouth shut for the first few days, but had enough by the fifth day of silence. She took Angel aside.  
  
He sat at his desk while Cordelia glared at him. She pointed a finger at him. "You. I can't believe you. You sit around and snap at people when it's all your fault!"  
  
"What?" Innocence cloaked his face.  
  
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about." She growled, waving her finger at him. "I mean, you're gonna live forever! You don't have time for one cup of coffee?" She ranted, then stormed from the office. Angel just sat, stunned.  
  
  
  
The familiar searing pain. It felt like two red-hot pokers were being shoved through each of her eyes. Her temples pounded from the all too unwelcome vision. Cordelia opened her eyes wearily and found that Serena had caught her. Angel and Wesley were staring at her, concerned.  
  
"Um, normal unwanted pasty white people attacking a little girl at Midway and 48th." Cordy mumbled, popping two aspirins. Serena and Angel glanced at each other. Since Gunn was out in the neighborhood checking on his crowd, they were stuck with this job, with each other, for better or for worse. Her face expressionless, she led the way out of headquarters, Angel following.  
  
  
  
  
  
Serena glanced at the numerous piles of dust and ash, then turned her attention to the little girl with the huge blue eyes and curly blonde hair that was about to become a midnight snack for the Fang Gang. She was about seven years old. The ugly, toothy vamps didn't succeed. The little girl ran into her apartment after Serena and Angel dropped her off.  
  
The two walked silently for a few blocks, but surprisingly enough, Angel broke the silence. He stopped outside of a coffee shop only a few blocks from headquarters and looked straight at her. Serena faced him, not knowing what was going on. She tingled to the soles of her feet. "I hear this place serves great coffee."  
  
Coffee.  
  
"Thought maybe you and I should get some."  
  
He was asking her on a date!  
  
She didn't respond. She would make him say it, all of it. She would make him eat his words.  
  
"Sometime." He added.  
  
She still kept her face a mask.  
  
"If you want," he finished.  
  
And with the tingling came triumph.  
  
"Yeah," she said, savoring the sweet, sweet moment.  
  
Angel brightened. He looked happy, and relieved.  
  
"Sometime," she went on. "I'll let you know."  
  
She began walking again, and her smile grew.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
The whole Investigations gang walked into the karaoke bar and found a table.  
  
"Angel, what are we doing at a karaoke bar?" Serena asked uncomfortably.  
  
"Well, you want to know your destiny right? Go up and sing, and then you'll know." Angel told her.  
  
"I don't want to sing!" Serena whined.  
  
"Don't be a chicken. Just pick a song and sing." Angel reassured.  
  
"Trust me, no one could be worse than Angel singing on that stage." Cordelia told her, ignoring the evil glare from Angel.  
  
The amazing psychic demon, Lorne suddenly appeared and sat in a sixth seat. "Angel, are you going to wow us with a song?" Lorne asked, smiling.  
  
"No, actually, but someone else will." Angel replied, ignoring the demon's remark. "This is Serena. She wants to know her destiny." Angel stood up with her and gave her a little shove in the direction of the stage. Serena grumbled under her breath. She picked a song in memory of her sister and mother. She took the stage and the music to 'One Sweet Day' started.  
  
Serena took a deep breath and began to sing the words.  
  
"Sorry I never told you, All I wanted to say, And now it's too late to hold you, Cause you've flown away, so far away"  
  
The gang braced themselves for the croak that Serena would try to pass as singing. But surprisingly, the words came out sweet and soft. Her voice trembled every now and then, but her voice grew strong as she sang more of the song. After she finished singing, she found her seat, ducking off the stage and avoiding the thunderous applause. Angel smiled at her.  
  
"I thought you said you couldn't sing!" he scoffed.  
  
"No, I told you I didn't want to sing. I never said I couldn't." She corrected. She turned toward the psychic demon. "Well?"  
  
"Oh, oh my." Was all he could say.  
  
"What, what is it?" Serena demanded.  
  
"Well, you are the Slayer, correct?" Serena nodded. "With the special gifts?" Again, she nodded. "Hmm. Your destiny, well, your next big feat, that is written in prophecies, is to help Angel, the vampire with a soul, regain his humanity." The demon sipped his gin and tonic.  
  
"Humanity?" Everyone asked incredulously.  
  
  
  
To be continued.  
  
Read Deceit: The Slayer Chronicles, the next story in the trilogy. 


End file.
